FIRST IN SCORE - THE FLORIDA STANDOFF: RNC chief of staff Jeff Larson is scheduled to visit Tallahassee on Tuesday to meet with officials there about the 2012 primary calendar, according to Florida Republicans familiar with the trip. Larson plans to meet with aides to state Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon, who would be in a position to move Florida's rule-breaking Jan. 31 primary to a later date. But Florida Republicans still don't want to settle for anything less than fifth place on the primary calendar, and one emphasized: "There is nothing the RNC can do in this situation unless they are ready to offer a lifting of all sanctions related to Florida's primary being held prior to March 6, because it will be held prior to March 6." There's an urgency to the situation: Florida's already almost halfway through its regular legislative session, and with Haridopolos and Cannon preoccupied with overhauling education, Medicaid, medical liability and more, there's not a huge amount of time left to hammer out a plan for rescheduling the primary.

MORE N.H. - HE'S NOT RUNNING, BUT ... South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint will participate in an April 30 gathering hosted by former New Hampshire congressional candidate Jennifer Horn. The event, billed as "a first in the nation freedom forum," will also feature conservative Iowa Rep. Steve King. DeMint's appearance follows his trip to Iowa in late March for a conference King organized. http://bit.ly/eF3REm

RAND IN IOWA - THE OBAMA DEFENSE: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul continues to talk like a presidential candidate, and told Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson during a visit to the early caucus state that he doesn't think he's too green to run. Henderson: "Rand Paul is ready to jump in if his dad doesn't. 'I feel the passion to fix the problems in our country before it's too late,' Paul told Radio Iowa ... Paul dismisses the idea he'd be criticized for being inexperienced, just as Republicans criticized Barack Obama for being a first-term senator. 'Didn't seem to hurt him, did it?' Paul said, with a laugh." http://bit.ly/heWRC9